Hey folks, Harry here with this week’s DVD Picks & Peeks – my preview and picks for the DVDs & BluRays that I’ve either checked out – or that I’m definitely picking up. As always the pictures and titles link to AMAZON, where if you wish to click you can learn more or purchase the item in question, which in turn gives a small portion of its purchase price to help support this column – and is very cool of you. Now – let’s get into the drama of this week’s column which begins with this very first title… Tuesday,

I’ve ordered it. Though Amazon has no image & there are zero details… But if SHOUT really does have a BATTLE BEYOND THE STARS blu coming out tomorrow – and nobody nowhere has an image of it, and if it comes tomorrow – I’ll be the happiest boy in the world, who has barred his door from the interloping of one Senor Massawyrm and his hell bent drooling hardon with which he’d be attempting to beat down my front door demanding to sit and watch instantly… because this rather amazing film – is amongst his favorites – and he’s not insane for thinking like that. This is a low budget, 1980’s science fiction version of THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN – by way of Roger Corman, with James Cameron handling many of the effects – and scores of delirious fanboys that worship Sybil Danning forever. God I hope this is a real release! If SHOUT! does release it, it’ll have a ton of extras – like everything else they make.

Speaking of SHOUT! here’s a release that I do have and have seen… for a couple weeks now – and it is a goody! Wish like hell this were BluRay – but getting a miracle like that would just be too amazing. No, actually it wouldn’t… it’d just plum be awesome to have. Here’s a pair of great Peter Fonda starring films that came out in quick order after EASY RIDER changed the film biz.

DIRTY MARY CRAZY LARRY is a tremendous film. And a genuine shock success. It made 14 times it’s budget upon initial release – But for some reason, after 1974… it was kind of an underground thing. It never became a huge home video title, though it should have. It just sort of – disappeared from most minds. Then Quentin Tarantino played it at one of his QT fests – and like that, in the minds of an cool films of yesteryear blogging group of film geeks – DIRTY MARY CRAZY LARRY became super awesome. I’m one of those. Adam Roarke and Peter Fonda have a robbery in mind. Susan George crashes their scene. Then you got a huge chase that is simply amazing to watch. This film is a film that if you don’t know it – read nothing additional about it. Just buy it, because it is great – and you’ll have a great time watching it. There’s shit that happens in this film that just would never happen today. Key among those is Susan George, whom Peckinpah made us amazed by with STRAW DOGS – well – she’s just a miracle in this flick.

RACE WITH THE DEVIL is probably my personal pick for 70’s flick most needing of an amazing fucking remake. And I’m not talking a rinky dink one. I’m saying – get a great director, a cast at least as awesome as Peter Fonda and Warren Oates. I mean, they’re just fucking great. The film takes some awesome twists and turns – but is never quite as big and holy fuck as you’d want it to be, though it is all totally there in the story. They just couldn’t bring what they had in mind, to life. Prior to ROAD WARRIOR – RACE WITH THE DEVIL was the best highway assault upon a single large vehicle that I’d ever seen. ROAD WARRIOR is miles more exciting, but this still has enough WOW to keep me watching even though I’ve seen it about 9 times theatrically and on 16mm. And man… A remake made with the cinema ecstacy of ROAD WARRIOR & the full fury of our visual effects geniuses… Wow. I love this film, but it definitely hits to wall of its own budget. And like DIRTY MARY CRAZY LARRY – I can not recommend enough not reading anything additional about either film. Just pick it up. Do not read the box – or AMAZON – they have spoilers. Trust me on this – they’re both cinematic awesome!

The single best superhero film ever. And it was never even a comic book. THE INCREDIBLES is pretty much every geek’s dream for a Pixar sequel – but we’re all unified in belieiving that it can only come from Brad Bird. When he’s ready to tell a story with these characters, we will get it. And hopefully the characters will all be at a different point in their lives. But man… THE INCREDIBLES is so damn great. Watching it on Blu Ray here at home was just amazing. Seriously. Just gorgeous. This is one of those films to watch, smile & hug with your toes! Watching the Pixar folks talking about the film – well, it just makes me smile. There’s a ton of great extras. Here’s some of em:

• The Incredibles Revisited: Filmmakers Roundtable

• Paths to Pixar: Story Artists

• Studio Stories: Gary's Birthday

• Ending With a Bang!: Making the End Credits

• Interactive! "The New Nomanisan" Island: A Top Secret Redevelopment Plan

Yeah, this is a huge arrival at Geek HQ – as Yoko and I are pretty addicted to Potter films. And watching this on Blu Ray tonight – well it just reinforced that I really do feel this is, beyond any doubt in my mind, my very favorite of the Harry Potter films. I know now why as well. It leaves Hogwarts behind, and takes our three heroes into a world of magic, politics and deadly serious affairs. I like how the kids are at wits’ end with what they are to do. They’re still kids. I mean, essentially straight out of High School & the fate of the world is in their hands… and at best, they have incomplete… to just flat out incompetent instructions regarding… oh yeah, how the fuck to kill Voldemort – who, by the way, is kicking Potter’s ass right about now. I mean, seriously. Holy fuck has Voldemort got Ace of Spades. It is about all they can do, to just escape this film with their lives. It is grim, but I have faith that JK Rowling is not an evil head fucker of an Arnofskian proportion. BUT – I can’t even imagine Harry Potter getting his rotten ass out of the sling that it is in. One of the deleted scenes actually made me tear up it was so good. But I totally see why it was cut. Great extra though. Here’s what you get:

This is the PIXAR film that I am absolutely immune to, thus far. One, whose charms absolutely do not touch me one bit. This is a money grab release. Believe me, when CARS 2 hits on Blu Ray next year – there will be a great rerelease and a box set of both that’ll be worth the wait, and that’s if you don’t already have this on BluRay – which many of you probably do. So I’d say pass on this release.

You probably don’t need me to tell you how great the output of Spencer Tracy & Katharine Hepburn was when they starred together in these 7 films. But if you do – if you don’t know how fucking amazing these two are? If you don’t realize that the characters they play over the 25 years it took to create this particularly amazing body of work… that those characters are essentially a guide into being a perfectly happy couple for your entire life. I love Spencer Tracy so much – and Katharine Hepburn, who should bother me… doesn’t – and it’s because I love her so. She’s just an amazing LADY. All caps, four-letter-word, LADY! She’s just a woman that makes you laugh and makes you furious. You will be in awe, and think at moments how horrible it would be to be stuck with her. But she’s just amazing. One of the great LADYs of all time. Spencer Tracy? My god what a man! Integrity. Stubborn. Charismatic. Just a great man. They live through multiple genres – but in an odd way – it tells you alternate world stories of the true love that Tracy and Hepburn had for each other. These films represent their relationship which is one of the most romantic relationships ever. And you can see that fire between them in every film. A truly great set. Amazon has it at a little more than $6 a title. Check them out!

A great film! Jean-Pierre Melville is back with Alain Delon in his trench coat smoothy best. Alain Delon is simply one of the most beautiful men to have ever been sculpted of clay and breathed life on screen by French Gods of Cinema. A more action packed and complicated film than LE SAMORAI – but I like the stillness of that film more. That said, I’d kill to go to Santi’s. Criterion has a beautiful transfer here – rich colors, beautiful blacks. Which for a film as stylistically pretty as this in places – you’ve simply got to have. Here’s the Supplimental Materials upon the Blu:

PLUS: A booklet featuring essays by film critics Michael Sragow and Chris Fujiwara, excerpts from Melville on Melville, a reprinted interview with composer Eric Demarsan, and an appreciation from director John Woo

How often do you get to buy Christopher Lambert on a Criterion Blu? 2 years ago, Claire Denis made a film that absolutely fits with the quality and excellence that we’ve come to expect from Criterion. This is a film in Africa in the midst of a Civil War – the center, stunning performance is Isabelle Huppert, who is going absolute batnuts insane – and you know you have a fun film, when the sanest character is played by Christopher Lambert! Seriously – check this out – it might have you rethinking things a bit. Criterion’s batch of extras consist of:

New digital transfer, supervised and approved by director Claire Denis and cinematographer Yves Cape, with DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition

New interviews with Denis and actors Isabelle Huppert and Isaach de Bankolé

Short documentary by Denis on the film’s premiere at the Écrans Noirs Film Festival 2010 in Cameroon

I love Surfing documentaries. The photography is truly just eye candy – but when you add real life drama and by every instinct in my body – INSANITY – well, it makes for a very necessary Blu! I love STEP INTO LIQUID and DUST TO GLORY, but for me – this may very well be Dana Brown’s best work.

Have young kids. Tired of THOMAS THE TRAIN ENGINE and his like? Go for the original Acid Childhood with The World Of Sid & Marty Krofft and their most bizarre creation: H.R. PUFNSTUF. Watching this and playing with my Bobble-headed H.R. – well, I’ve decided that I really do need a Magic Flute! I mean, for Pufnstuf!

Love real life spy stories? This is a spy thriller set in the midst of the Reagan period of the Cold War. This is just a fucking great movie. Other than Dafoe – you most likely won’t know anybody else – but that’s kind of why we love Willem Dafoe – he brings us to movies we wouldn’t otherwise find. Great flick!

Here Dorian Gray has been transplanted into the swinging London of the Sixties – as a way of boning up for the X-MEN: FIRST CLASS – I simply insist everyone check out THE SECRET OF DORIAN GRAY. Helmut Berger plays the titular character – and the fantastic Herbert Lom as Henry Wotton is, in my opinion, my favorite Henry Wotton. And the ladies… shit – they’re hot as hell. This flick is great risqué material. Love it.

Directed by Leslie Zemeckis – the wife of Robert Zemeckis and professional Burlesque performer, as well as being a writer & a producer on a number of projects. But this documentary – which takes a look on the Burlesque business of the classic era – interviews the ladies and really tells ya what it was like is… frankly fascinating. I really dig the hell out of this doc, but then I’m a total perv with a respect for the Perv-Arts and their history. Learn yourself some goodness! Such a great doc.

This is a creepy fucking movie! When I saw the trailers for this – I was intrigued, mainly because I love Jim Sturgess – and Yoko totally crushes on him – I had no idea what a dark pit of awesome I was getting myself into. All I can say is this – Man, never ever steal Satan’s lil girl. What the fuck! I mean, I know technically he isn’t Satan, but let’s get real – he totally is. I love takes on the Faust legend, and this one is pretty awesomely fucked up. You would not want to be in Sturgess’ place. Seriously. This would be major suckage. That said, it’s a pretty great little film.

So – how would you like to see a classic Warner Brothers film starring Olivia DeHavilland and Ida Lupino as Emily & Charlotte Brontë - Yes, those Brontë Sisters. The you add to that CASABLANCA buddies like Paul Henreid and Sydney Greenstreet… well, you should know that I’ve never found a bad Olivia DeHavilland film – and that tradition comes to life. This is studio melodrama – but I’ve always loved those quirky and dark Brontë sisters’ JANE EYRE and WUTHERING HEIGHTS – and I loved watching this classic Hollywood biopic about them. Excellent work.

If you’ve seen Francois Ozon’s SWIMMING POOL or UNDER THE SAND – this is pretty much a must. For those unfamiliar with Ozon, I’d suggest starting with SWIMMING POOL to get your mind wet, then that RICKY out for a stroll. You shouldn’t read much of anything about what makes RICKY – that adorably freakishly cute baby on the DVD cover so special – and it is more than those cheeks, I guarantee. I love Ozon.

You see that cover? That’s why DAMNATION ALLEY needs to be revisited. Something that sears like this cover is what I’ve always wanted from the film… and I love DAMNATION ALLEY. I mean – you could even use most of the original cast – I mean. Seriously, bring back Jan-Michael Vincent, Liam Neeson, Paul Winfield and Jackie Earle Haley. Ok, ok, Liam Neeson wasn’t in this, but George Peppard was – and we all know Liam has George in his quill of possibilities. Revisiting Roger Zelazny’s novel would be the first stop. I’d have Michael Giacchino riff on Jerry Goldsmith – and man – DAMNATION ALLEY could be so cool. Alas – I doubt seriously there’s enough cult support to rebirth this fucker – that’s why you need to see DAMNATION ALLEY – of course before that happens, I’d rather see someone take on Zelazny’s AMBER series. Right?

The first CARS isn't my favorite Pixar film, but it's not my least favorite. And with Pixar's reputation for challenging and trying to top themselves, I fully believe that CARS 2 is going to surprise everyone and be irresistible.

A few weeks back, Harry recommended this one because of the excellent "sword play." So, I bought the BD sight unseen. Decent movie, but I bought it to see some badass sword fights . . . of which there were none. Rental worthy for sure, but not one to watch over and over.
Oh well, what's they saying? Fool me once, shame on you. . . .

1) Disney is evilly manipulating John Lasseter to make Cars 2 out of moneymaking greed.
However, I've been drinking John's kool-aid for years, and believe him wanting to show a world beyond just the US and of other Car-Cultures.
I still hate how a lot of people talk about Cars as if it was so easy to make, when if you check the documentaries and making-of books, they really did their homework.
Though I'd love to sock that stupid little sob on imdb who keeps insisting that Disney will force more Toy Story movies out of Pixar. His theory is that Disney just won't let a series that had a third film make over a billion dollars simply go out on a high note.
And on a final note, I can live fine knowing that the Incredibles is a stand-alone film. Brad has plenty of new frontiers to conquer...like getting his film about the 1906 SF earthquake off the ground.

I don't like Cars because I just can't buy into the universe it exists in, it makes no sense to me. Why are there houses? Why are there hotels? Planes? What happened to the humans? I don't get it, seriously it's just creepy and messed up.

It just falls far short of the heights reached by most other Pixar films. It still is better than 99.9% of other movies, and there are at least two other Pixar films, the massively overrated "Wall-E" and the generally shat-upon "A Bug's Life" -- both of which are still VERY GOOD -- that are can easily be considered "worse."

... according to amazon - both formats always release on the same date - weird that the bluray is listed as coming out on april 12 - i bought the old new concorde dvd of "battle beyond the stars" used for $35 a few years ago - great movie - best star wars knock off next to "message from space" in my opinion

is one of those total film geek experiences from my childhood. Saw it like on TBS or uSA or sumthing at like 11 am on a saturday when I was 10-12 and just could not believe the awesomeness... Sure it hasn't aged well effects wise, but the concept has so much potential for awesome. THIS is the kind of film you remake

Harry, just wondering if you've had a chance to see the BluRays of Huston's THE BIBLE and Norman Jewisons FIDDLER ON THE ROOF...both
came out this past week. also, please comment on these WB classics that the studios doesn't see fit to give a normal DVD release but put them out on DVD-R...parsing them out a few at a time. even some great titles are stuck in this category; THE BEST MAN, THE CITADEL, THE HUMAN COMEDY, etc.etc.

Heartless is available on Netflix instant-view, I haven't watched it yet, but it's there for those interested...
Damnation Alley was a fav of mine as a kid. Caught it again a few years ago, knowing it wouldn't age well... It didn't, but I still enjoyed the shit out of revisiting it.
I must have watched Battle Beyond the Stars at some point, but can't remember a thing about it, so maybe I missed it after all. I had an open pass as a kid at the local M&P video shop... I watched so much shit that I shouldn't have, including almost everything Corman was putting out at the time.
Race W/ the Devil was another fav as a kid, it doesn't hold up great, but does hold up better than some. I wouldn't mind a remake so long as it was done well (unlike 95% of the ones we usually get).

Never saw DA, but for years the van from it was parked on the side of the freeway near the Universal Studios exit. Not sure if it's still there since I don't go near that shithole (L.A.) if I can help it.

The original is actually one of Pixar's under-performers at the box office, but has made at least $2 Billion (with a 'B') in merchandising sales.
While I agree that it's the least of the Pixar films, it's not a terrible movie by any stretch. And it bankrolls huge leaps of faith like Ratatouille, Wall-e, and Up. If releasing a movie like Cars every so often gives Pixar the financial freedom to make crazy art the rest of the time, then more power to them.
And the Toy Story films should have taught us by now never to underestimate the ability of Pixar to make a damn good sequel.

What a week. I am old enough to have watched Puffnstuff on Saturday mornings during its initial run. All the great Krofft stuff, Sigmund and the Sea Monster, Land of the Lost, all such great stuff, but Puffnstuff was special. I remember being totally immersed in this show, and when I showed some of the Krofft stuff to my kids when they were around 9 they just ate it up. And what can you say about Damnation Alley. I must have watched it 20 times on HBO back in the day and it was definitely a personal favorite. Can't wait to see it again.

I lived in LA in 1990 and I too remember seeing the Damnation Alley vehicle on the side of the freeway. That van actually was used in many tv shows after DA, including an appearance on Chris Elliot's 'Get a Life' as Paper Boy 2000.

Got the New Concorde release of Battle Beyond the Stars on DVD, but I would TOTALLY upgrade for this. Mom took me to see it in a dollar theatre when I was a kid and it became one of those childhood-defining films. Lots of aliens, weird looking spaceships, and a classic story. Damnation Alley is a treat too, but having read the book first, the trucks in the movie were never as cool as how I imagined them. Still a fun watch, though.

I know the brothers were sorely disappointed that the big-screen adaptation of "Land of the Lost" went tits-up. Is this reissue of H.R. Pufnstuff the tail-end of what would have been a resurgence in Krofft properties?
I noticed that series sets for both Lidsville and The Bugaloos are now out of print. Will they be reissued in the same manner as H.R. Pufnstuff?
Anyone know?

Was the first time my issues with race in film crystallized. Saw it on Hollywood boulevard when it came out, with a white friend. George Peppard, Jan-Micheal Vincent, and Paul Winfield traveling across a wasteland in an atomic Winnebago. Then, out the ashes of Salt Lake City, or Vegas or wherever it was, came (as far as we know) the Last Woman In The World. I turned to my friend and said: "oh, my God. They're going to kill Paul Winfield." He said, "Why would you think that?" I said, "well, they're not going to pretend he's not interested, and they're not going to let him compete for her. The only answer is to kill him."
My friend looked at me pityingly and said "you're just too cynical, Steve. Everything isn't racial."
Five minutes later, Winfield got eaten by giant cockroaches.
Case closed.

This column is great for pointing out films that we should see or buy but lately you have been suggesting that every cool, lesser-known movie be remade. I can think of maybe three or four remakes that have been worthwhile in the last 30 years. Do you really want a PG-13 "Racing with the Devil" or "Damnation Alley" with super-bland actors/Abercrombie models like Matt Damon or Channing Tatum in 3D, complete with product placement, one (and only one) "f" word and crappy CGI. Why are you asking for this?

Holy Moley, this is a must buy for me! I saw it three times in the theatre. First time because it was obviously jumping on the "Star Wars" bandwagon, and I was a young "Star Wars' freak. I went back the last two times for Sybil Danning's immaculate, sweaty tits. I would have gone back again and again, but the flick didn't have the, uhm, staying power that "Star Wars" did (and there was about 4200 less theatre screens in the USA at the time). A definite must buy for me. The FX are very well done too, but those tits. Oh those tits! Gotta love Corman. He likes tits too. Yet these just ain't any tits. These are Sybil Danning's tits. In a "Star Wars" rip-off no less. It really doesn't get much better than that. Did I mention Sybil Danning's tits? Probably not enough, because they're totally awesome. Tits.

Anime in general is criminally underrepresented on AICN. Yeah, there's the occasional column that lumps all the recent releases together, but no real mention of it in the main features (unless it's about the all-gajin live-action version of "Akira" or another Miyazaki lovefest). Something like "Evangelion" is the sort of release that's absolutely front and center for anime fans, but to everyone else it might as well be just another obscurity. It deserves to be given the same highlight that "Battle Beyond the Stars" does, at any rate.

The Saturday morning show you're refering to is called "ARK II" (don't know what happened to "Ark I"?), but I don't think it was related to "Damnation Alley". It did have an armored van that looked exactly the same and may have actually been the same vehicle. It's on DVD. In fact, Half Priced Books has been selling a DVD set with "Ark II", "Jason of Star Command" and "Space Academy" for really cheap for a while now. It was put by BCI, who I think went out of business.

while the original isn't terrible (its grown on me a bit over time, but still not one of my faves) part 2 is a fun action/adventure movie. Still not going to rank up there with the Incredibles, Wall-E, Toy Story trilogy as Pixars best but its still an improvement. (Saw an unfinished cut back in December, audience loved it, sent a review in but Harry & Co didn't run it, I assume to stay in Disney/Pixars good graces)

Yeah, my parents took me to see BBTS as well. I was like 15 maybe? All I could think of whenever I saw Sybil Danning was "omfg I think I found my special purpose..."
You have to love how she piloted her ship... lying on her back, with her ginormous ta-tas heaved together, barely hanging on, just fighting to withstand snapping her space bra. So great.
The film is such a bizarre mix. On one hand it is just crap. On the other hand there are so many amazing things to see and make fun of, it is awesome.

I had to go on Youtube to confirm that I'd seen BBtS (I have)... and ended up wasting the last three hours checking out all the other old flicks I'd forgotten about.
And I was going to get shit done today.

No, not a new and morbid talkbacker tradition, but he died in 2004. Didn't know he was gay either, but there you have it...
That said, bring back Jan-Michael Vincent and Jackie Earle Haley! Damnation Alley was a fun slice of 70's cheese. I remember the ads for it, and it was the first time I'd heard a movie named for a swear word.

Harry, please, learn the proper use of punctuation...it makes it so much more interesting for the reader! Writing. A one. Word. Sentence. Looks. Like. Shit!!!
Also, if you didn't know, Cars has been on bluray for about, oh, 4 years now. All this is a repackaging and a dvd. Really not worth the time or effort. Hope no one with the original gets fooled by this.

I wish all dvd/blu-ray releases would keep the awesome poster art like this...one of my favorites even though it LIED to me as a kid. Exiting the theater I was bummed there was no reptile looking alien with a laser rifle. Corman (for me) is the only one that could get away with that.
Oh, and the collective cats are shown as a two-headed alien. Gotta love it.

April 12, 2011, 1:35 p.m. CST

by Cobra--Kai

shropshire_slasher - there was a reptile alien!
Had to check wiki but his name was 'Cayman' and he was the guy who did the epic 'LAZOOOOOOLAAAAYYY!' kamikaze attack.

Yeah and that has nothing to do with environmental factors at all, right? Everybody definitely is on equal footing out of the gate in this country. No one is ever born to assholes, poor people, or nutjobs that might hinder their growth.
OK.

April 12, 2011, 2:42 p.m. CST

by Cobra--Kai

slasher, dagnammit you're right - and I thought you'd had too much barley wine. Giant insect guy on bottom left!
Maybe he's in a deleted scene?
Forget KING KONG and the stupid bug pit or THE EXORCIST spider walk - we demand a full restoration of BATTLE BEYOND THE STARS with Giant insect guy reinstated!
GOD WILLS IT!!

I see I'm not the only one with some love for the Landmaster (by far the best thing in the movie). It's been gone from the side of the 101 for many years now.
Saw it during release in the Fall of 77 and it was just as bad then.
I'm not a fan of remakes either, but they happen and have happened for many decades. I follow the words of John Huston:
"On remakes: "There is a willful lemming-like persistence in remaking past successes time after time. They can't make them as good as they are in our memories, but they go on doing them and each time it's a disaster.
Why don't we remake some of our bad pictures - I'd love another shot at 'Roots of Heaven' - and make them good?"
DAMNATION ALLEY might be a good start...

Amber is my second favorite series, besides Dune, and as such there's really no one in Hollywood I would trust with the material, that would have a realistic chance of taking it on. I dunno maybe we could get Pete Jackson to stay pigeon-holed in genre for just one more series? I think this is one case where the movie in my head is enough for me.

the screenplay is very coded. the incredibles are the united states of america. the main theme of the film is if you strip back all the superhero stuff is america is diverse and each american has individual strenghts. but when america gets attacked it will retaliate and it will pull together and fight back with the help of other people. the incredibles was disney's 9/11 movie.

while ill acknowledge mr incredible didnt like being seen as ordinary and didnt want his son to hold back in order to fit in - they were all about helping the little guy - the general public which had no powers - randians see the little guy as the problem - to them the less fortunate or needy are just shit outta luck - randians arent concerned with helping the needy - that would hold them back from being all they can be - paul ryan is a randian - his desire to disembowel all social programs and safety nets are textbook rand

like i said before:
"Everything has to be black and white with you doesn't it: 'I love you...fuck off!' There are shades of gray!"
"Yeah i know, I'm looking at 15 of them right now!"
And i really dug the last two alone because of David Yates direction. Oh well, maybe the next will be the truly amazing epic with a shit-kickingly awesome script elevating the material to all new levels the last two appeared to be building it up to pull off.
Those Criteron releases look rather darn sweet though, that's for sure.
Also, Evangelion is awesome, Mattmans right your an idiot.

This isn't news to anyone who pays attention, but it actually plays like a somewhat loose adaptation of "Watchmen". The characters are so damn near spot on Alan Moore should have gotten a story credit. However, sadly, there is no "Incredibles" equivalent to Rorschach.

My basics thoughts are that:
Order introduced that stunning kineticism and framing and luscious cinematography to the camera work and editing towards the end, particularly with the sequence where Dumbledore squares of in the ministery... its probably the most solid script in terms of content and structure too...
and then Half Blood Prince cooled things down nicely with more absolutely gorgeously lush cinematography again, and even more brilliant set design and atmosphere... but with a more considered, brooding, sombre yet still epic & strong pace with great subtle or slight of hand character actor work from the adults (contrasted with cool scenery chewing stuff from Bellatrix etc) that made it constantly engaging... it still had major script issues though particularly with a slightly fractured and wishy-washy structure...
and then Deathly Hallows just felt like an utter empty semi-pretentious misfiring drylord fest... i seriously felt the urge to commit the ultimate sin of movie viewing at several points throughout: just skip whole chunks out of fear of dropping dead or bleeding out my eyes and ears from boredom/serious depression... I yelled at it a few times as well, stuff like "YES!... Fucking... YES! Harmonies pissed with you cos she really loves you deep down, we fucking get it!... oh GOD more sobre ramblings through the forest or the planes by Private school kids suddenely tossed into the reality that is middle-england in a political-economic crisis followed by...oh Christ! here we go again!..."
How Kids will engage with this but not anything from thr Battlestar Galactica miniseries or Carnivale in its pace, (at least by my hand/suggestion) to any number of great oldie flicks, i can only presume has to do with the subject matter and in context everything its built up before to this point..
I really am genuinely behind the series and the director though; hope they knock it out the park for Pt 2.

Battle Beyond the Stars was endlessly repeated on ITV here in the '80's, its a classic reworking of the Magnificent Seven, but in space!! George Peppard, Robert Vaughn, John Boy from the Wlatons, that Valkyrie fox (who I believe would just be as foxy, later, in V?) and a truckload of FX and good action. One of those films I have to own!!
I love Dirty Mary and Crazy Larry too!! I remember seeing it on BBC1 in the early '80's (one of their late movies on a Monday night, after the 9 O'Clock news - they also showed that freaky movie about the woman who could morph into a black widow spider - does anyone remember that?!!), a great film, and the first time I was shocked by the end to a film - it just ends abruptly, like, THAT. !!
When these arrive, I'm going to have to bakrupt myself LOL!!

Hey! I cought a BluRay player also. However many of my friends didn't so having a DVD copy makes it possible for me to take it over to show them the movie or loan it to them. Also I only have one BD player so this means I can play the movie in my bedroom as well. Produce more of those combo packs please!

I've often thought " With FXs they have now they could do this! ". Amber was one of my favorite series of books. Totally original. I remember picking up a copy of " Nine Princes in Amber " back in the early 70's with no mention of it being a series. I got to the end of the book where the hero is blind and in prison and I said to my self " What????? " Fortunately it wasn't long after that I learned there would be more. And yes I think the right director could do it. It would be pretty heady stuff but I once thought no one could do " Lord of The Rings " justice.

Here's my take:
Superman: The Movie. - Superior super hero movie, Christopher Reeve one of if not the best on-screen Superman ever, an an iconic score to boot.
Alien: One of the greatest sci-fi/horror movies ever made, I have to return to it every year or so.
The Hidden: Have not seen, just looked it up on IMDB, and am absolutely hot to trot to see it, looks right up my street.

We are in agreement!
Yeah, definitely check out The Hidden... some great B movie stuff there... I would say it borders on being an A movie but when it comes down to it, it's a B flick. Great fun, entertaining as hell! Plus it has Claudia Christianson (sic?) as a stripper!!!

I like well made B pictures. They can get away with more, and are normally more interesting than than their A counterparts, which end up being very safe/rote because the suits worry that they won't make their huge budgets back.

Second time this year I've gone to the store to pick up a movie on this list, only to find it's not being released until FRIDAY, 4/15!!! What's up with these stupid Friday releases?!? Damn you, Potter!!!

I would much rather spend $25 dollars on a stand alone Bluray, than spend $45 on a Bluray/DVD/Digital Copy set. I have plenty of movies I can watch in my bedroom, and not all of them are porn. Bluray movies are bought for their superior audio and video quality, and I want to watch them in all their glory on my main system. I like my friends, but if they don't have a bluray player, they can go rent the DVD.

Because it's a really well done movie you think?
There is more cleverness, inventiveness, heart and charm in that film than all other superhero films combined. Anyone who doesn't see that, in my opinion, should not even be watching movies. Maybe stick to your dungeon master skills, that's probably where it's at for you.

Not for somebody who prefers their superhero films dark with mature content.
Sorry, I just don't get the love. To me it was just a cute cartoon. Maybe I'll have to revisit it, since I'm obviously in the minority.

Are you choppa or one of his minions? That response seemed really uncharacteristic of the real choppa.
btw, I love my superhero stuff dark as well. Mostly. But man, variety is kind of nice once in a while. If you just open your mind to the fact that The Incredibles is a light, fun, colorful story about a family of super people and very much in the vein of The Fantastic Four (or what The FF * should * have been on film) — and if you watch it in a good mood, not a shitty mood (I find that does make a difference) you might just find yourself enjoying it!

When I watched The Incredibles it was the first Network premier, I think ABC, I'm sure, Disney and they slaughtered the thing with commercials. It ended up being a 3 hour broadcast. So, yeah, maybe I do need to watch it again.

Is a gem that, like all the best movies shot on a limited budget (particularly back in The Day), works on a practical 'real-world' level that most of today's equivalents just don't.
A remake? Fuck off. Just watch the original more.
It's cool seeing films 'inspired by' older movies - hell, Tarantino and Rodriguez made careers out of it, and brilliantly too. But the whole remake culture is long past out of hand (yes there are good - even great movies that are remakes but now the piss is being taken on a too regular basis) - and it's somewhat disappointing hearing Harry rooting for more.

AICN Fanboys don't like CARS because it's tailored more to the Wal-Mart/Nascar/Gearhead parents and their kids then it is to the Indie Store/Comic Book/Geek parents and their kids.<br /><br /> Which is also why it's made so much more in merchandising then The Incredibles has. Joe and Mary Sixpack would rather have their son play with Cars then play with Action Figures. It was ever thus.

I remember in "Sneak Previews" they showed the scene where the ship slides in overhead in the sky and some kind of announcement is made.
And Roger Ebert gave it a favorable review.
I'm surprised this hasn't been remade/re-imagined.

All but RAT/UP/Bugs Life are comics. Done by BOOM! KIDS and they are very good. Not as good as their DARKWING DUCK comic, but all are really fun and if you are clamoring for more adventrues of any of your favorite Pixar characters (because lets face it no ones favorite pixar character is anyone from Up/Bugs Life/Rat, I like those movies fine and all but eh plus they will probably be BOOM comics some time soon) should check them out. <P> AND check out Darkwing Duck its perfectly updated for the 20 somethings that grew up with in their youth.

Wasn't due to the fact that it didn't pander to my "geek" tastes or whatever, it was because the film felt like it was just put-together and passed out, almost as if "will that do?" as opposed to Pixar's usual "take a look at THIS!!"
Cars felt like a humdrum story, bolted to an unimaginative world that I had no connection to.
In short, Pixar's output for the most part is quirky, warming, enjoyable fare for all (not just for us "geeks"!!). Cars felt like I was being fed something Pixar didn't totally invest in with passion, and at the end of the day I felt like I was being fed a spoonful of patronizing baby food.

Something else I feel regarding Cars... The timing seems off. There's something about the timing that just doesn't feel right. Can't put my finger on it. There are scenes that just... kind... of... drag, dialog that comes off sketchy, just a lot of little things that don't glue together properly throughout the film. Just my opinion.

Instead of some supernatural monsters the villains were the most frightening of monsters... Crazy people who want to kill you.
This movie was made less than a decade after the Manson murders and at that time made it seem all the more plausible.

As someone else already mentioned, it still better than 99% of other kids films.
And KIDS love CARS. My 5 year old nephew is crazy for that movie, and probably accounts for a good percentage of that billion in merchandizing profits.
But the movie just didn't strike a cord with me, and the sequel looks far less appealing (to me). It does feel sort of weird to know there is a pixar movie out this summer, and for the first time in the studios history, I won't be going to see it.
BRAVE seems like it could be amazing though

I Saw Dirty Harry Crazy Mary At The Theater In 1974. I was 14 or 15. I wonder what the MPAA rating was back then?
I think the non-Hollywood, down-beat ending hurt the films lasting main-stream appeal. It was a see it once type of film for most. However, it did stay with me over the years.
I did not see a lot of films at the theater back in my youth. Why would I when we had 3 TV channels, ABC, CBS and NBC.

I saw Race With The Devil on broadcast TV. It creeped me out in a good way.
Warren Oates was from my hometown and home state of LOU-A-VILLE Kentucky. That's how we natives say Louisvile. Loved WO in Two Lane Blacktop among other films. He was a real interesting performer.